Students’ Association held a General Activity Fund strategic plan session to determine how the money should be spent for the next five years Monday night.
The GAF fee for students is currently $50.85 per credit hour and funds things like the Miller Wellness Center, athletics, career development, the University Student Union and student organizations. Every five years a new plan is made on how GAF money should be spent the following five years.
This is the last year in the five-year plan and SA is determining if GAF spending should be changed and invited students to give their options on the subject during a listening session. The session filled the room of the Hobo Day Gallery with students who wanted to share their opinions on where this money should go.
Here are some answers from the students;
How does GAF engage (or benefit) students at SDSU?
- GAF benefits students by giving them free admissions to games and sporting events, funding the wellness center and the student clinic in the wellness center. GAF money also funds parking for off campus students, provides campus safety, increases stipends for students working on campus and provides money for food services. The money also goes to transportation for students.
What areas need improvement and more funding?
- Students said the biggest area that needs improvement, and more funding was the transportation on campus since there is now limited transportation and hours with the BATA Bus and Rabbit Ride. Other students said ADA accessibility spaces on campus need more funding.
What would students not want to fund using GAF dollars?
- Students said they don’t think GAF money should be spent on athletics apart from club sports on campus. This includes physical additions to the wellness center and stadium or athletic facilities updates. Some other students mentioned that this money shouldn’t be spent on updating dorm halls on campus.
Currently, the wellness center is second in GAF money spending with $14.48 and athletics has the third with $11.78.
From here, the senate will pass what the students want to university administrations who will potentially recommend edits then sign off on it. It will then get sent to the Board of Regents and they will have the final say on the new GAF spending plan.
Students’ Association President Trinity Peterson said at the end of the day this plan is just a suggestion.
“This is a pretty solid recommendation and is the starting point for what students want, which is really important obviously in this whole process,” Peterson said.
